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Schiele Museum of Natural History


General Information

Schiele Museum of Natural History, 1500 E. Garrison Blvd., Gastonia, NC

The Schiele Museum of Natural History, an administrative and financial department of the City of Gastonia, is a public institution created to promote awareness and appreciation for nature. To instill a sense of individual and social responsibility for the diversity of the natural world and the role of humanity in it, the Museum collects, studies, and preserves natural specimens and cultural artifacts. These objects, their history, and their environmental and social contexts are communicated to all possible audiences through the Museum's educational programs, exhibits, and publications.

Original Schiele Museum exhibit gallery, early 1960's

A Brief History

After retiring as an Executive with the Boy Scouts of America, Bud Schiele and his wife Lily donated their services and collections for a county museum. The Schiele Museum Board of Directors was established in 1960 to set basic policies, provide long-range objectives, and promote the Museum within the community. With their efforts, a 1,400 square foot building on 2.2 acres was dedicated in 1961 as the Gaston County Museum of Natural History. The Schiele's original collections stimulated considerable community interest. Private citizens donated a number of significant mineralogical, ornithological, ethnographical, and paleontological collections and specimens to the intuition. In June, 1964 the Museum transferred to the City of Gastonia and was renamed the SCHIELE MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY.

 

The Schiele Museum Today

Today, the Schiele Museum houses over 350,000 specimens. A 56,000+ square foot building includes two galleries for temporary and traveling exhibitions and five permanent exhibit halls:

  • North Carolina Hall of Natural History - beautiful dioramas of the 5 regions of North Carolina from the mountains to the sea.
  • Hall of North American Habitats - dioramas of Everglades, Sonoran Desert, and Alaskan tundra biomes.
  • Hall of North American Wildlife - moose, elk, bison, and other large mammals of North America; birds, insects, reptiles, amphibians and small mammals of North Carolina.
  • Hall of Earth and Man - fossils of dinosaurs, mastodon, saber-tooth cats, and other pre-historic life; displays about Early Man; largest gem & mineral display in North Carolina.
  • Henry Hall of the American Indian - displays of housing, tools, weapons, adornments, and utilitarian objects of 12 tribal groups of 5 regions of North America; Native voices telling their own stories.
  • The James H. Lynn Planetarium offers astronomy and space science presentations for the public Saturdays at 11 am, 1,2,3 pm year round.
    • Saturdays 11:00 am, 1:00 pm, 2:00 pm, 3:00 pm year round
    • Sundays 2:00 pm, 3:00 pm year round
    • Tuesdays & Thursdays 3:30 pm (September - May)
    • Mondays - Fridays 3:00 pm (June - August)
  • Naturally Gifted, The Schiele Museum's Store features a variety of gifts and educational items related to nature and history - rocks and minerals, field guides and books for children or adults, T-shirts, jewelry, puppets, stuffed animals, posters, Native craft items, toys, and games.
  • The Schiele Museum's 14+ acre campus includes these outdoor interpretive sites:
    • Nature Trail - pine forest, mixed hardwood forest, and pond communities typical of Piedmont North Carolina are all found along the .7 mile Trail For All Seasons.
    • Memorial Wildlife Garden - planted with species native to the Carolina Piedmont, the Memorial Wildlife Garden provides food and shelter for wildlife and a contemplative setting enjoyed by Trail users.
    • Catawba Indian Village - interprets 400 years of Catawba Indian history through the use of replicated and simulated structures
    • 18th-Century Backcountry Farm - interprets life ways of the early settlers of this region through living history presentations in period and reconstructed buildings.
    • Stone Age Heritage Site - Standing stone, Stone Circle, Rock Carin, and Petroglypls created by Aboriginal Studies Workshop participants illustrates a shared human heritage.

    Hours, Fees, Location

    The Schiele Museum is open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday-Saturday, and 1-5 p.m. Sundays. For 2008, the museum is open year-round except Christmas, the day after Christmas, Easter and Thanksgiving.

    Admission to The Schiele Museum, including entry into featured exhibits

    Non-city of Gastonia residents:

    $7/adults

    $6/students and seniors

    City of Gastonia residents:

    $5/adults

    $4/students and seniors

    Planetarium tickets are $3 for all visitors.

    Museum members and children 3 years old and younger are admitted free.

    Annual Family Memberships passes are just $75. This pass is good for a year's admission into The Schiele and its featured exhibits and more than 250 other science centers and museums across the country, including Discovery Place in Charlotte and the Catawba Science Center in Hickory. Visitors also receive four free planetarium tickets with the purchase of a Family Membership pass. Call 704/866-6904 for details or visit https://www.schielemuseum.org/membership_application.php.

    Museum admission is waived from 4 to 8 p.m. the second Tuesday and from 1 to 5 p.m. the fourth Friday of the month.

    The Museum is located at 1500 East Garrison Blvd., Gastonia, NC (28054-5199).

     

    Contact Information

    For information on the Schiele Museum of Natural History or for information about current and upcoming nature or history programs, planetarium shows, and exhibits visit our website, email us, or call.

    General Information: 704.866.6900
    Group Appointments, Reservations: 704.854.6676
    Receptionist: 704.866.6908
    Administration Fax: 704.866.6041
    Education Division, Group Appointments Fax: 704.836.0034

    Questions or comments about this site? Email the webmaster.

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